


Illumination

by Reshiramu



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 碧蓝航线 | Azur Lane (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, Dark, Gen, It gets darker as the story progresses, Light Stone - Freeform, Mental Invasion, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25651489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reshiramu/pseuds/Reshiramu
Summary: Hornet was just one amongst the many kansen summoned by the Azur Lane. She fought the Sirens like all kansen did, until a mysterious white stone appeared. Soon, there's a new presence in her head... and now, she's in danger of losing herself.
Relationships: Hornet & Northampton (Azur Lane)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Shining in the Water

Hornet sat in the docks, blinking the sleep from her eyes. It was early, just before dawn, but the naval base's day had already begun. At least coffee helped. The carrier's eyes wandered, taking in the artificially lit harbour. In the early morning, it wasn't that active - most of those present were bulins flitting about, inspecting hulls and gear. Hornet gulped down another bitter mouthful, before hearing feet slapping against the pavement.

"Hihiii!" That was Albacore, all right. In spite of the dim, before-dawn light, the playful submarine was still skipping around. Almost as though the girl were perpetually excited, ready to watch some prank or another play out. Hornet had learned a long time ago to make herself scarce when Albacore and Saratoga decided to team up. If not, well… embarrassment was sure to follow.

Hornet raised an eyebrow upon noticing no one was following Albacore. She'd have expected the submarine's sheer energy to get someone's attention. "Where are the others?" the carrier inquired. She looked around again. Nope. Still no one but them and the bulins.

Albacore giggled. "Everyone else's coming from a commission, silly!" Ignoring Hornet's turning to take another sip, Albacore continued. "I think they'll be here in - uhhh… a few minutes?"

Great. Hornet cast her eyes out to the horizon. The rising sun would be behind their backs when it actually rose - right now, the west horizon was duller than the east. The sun rose in the east, and set in the west - that was something instinctual to every shipgirl. Just as inscribed upon their souls as the mariners' timeless rhyme about red skies at dusk and dawn. 

  
  


Still, there weren't any silhouettes to signal approaching kansen. Not yet.

Hornet could hear Albacore hopping off the railing. The submarine's footfalls steadily grew more distant. (Probably going to see what the bulins were doing, or something.)

She drank from her coffee again. By now, the sky was lightening. The light of dawn shone over the parts of the east horizon that she could make out. It was still dark enough she couldn't make out much other than what the base lights illuminated. However, the sky was beginning to colour out.

It was turning orange.

Hornet narrowed her eyes. Hopefully it wasn't going to be a sunrise that hailed poor weather. She shifted on the crude cement bench. She didn't like the thing - cement was uncomfortable to sit atop for a while, even for a kansen. But it was what was there.

The carrier stood, and paced a little. Finally, she swore she saw figures upon the horizon - four or five of them. The other kansen. They had to be.

Hornet made her way to a railing, and leaned over it. She couldn't see much aside from the lights on the other girls' rigging, but the carrier was fairly certain she'd made out Jean Bart's distinctive rigging.

As the sky lightened, the kansen on the horizon got closer. Alongside Jean Bart, Hornet made out the figures of Amazon and Curlew flanking Jean Bart. As the carrier squinted, she swore she made out Leipzig trailing them. Like Jean Bart, the lights of Leipzig's rigging were a dead giveaway.

Hornet straightened up a bit. The sky was reddening.

Brilliant.

Nevertheless, the others were coming in. With that, she pulled herself to a standing position. A cursory glance between the oncoming kansen and the docks confirmed Hornet's suspicion of where they'd come in, and she set off. Soon, she was jogging down towards a particular dock.

As the other kansen came in, Hornet heard Albacore behind her. The submarine darted past and grabbed Leipzig, who stiffened up and "eek"ed in surprise. Albacore let go, and Leipzig shuffled back before composing herself and stepping forward again.

"We're back," the light cruiser said. She swallowed a bit, but her face was set in a determinedly neutral expression. Hornet remembered Leipzig when she'd first arrived at port - now, she was miles more confident.

Curlew didn't say anything as she swept past. Probably for whatever maid duties she had today…. To be frank, Hornet didn't quite get the whole Royal Maid Corps thing. It sounded weird - and annoying - to have someone fussing over you like that. Still, Hornet wasn't in the Royal Navy, so that meant she just observed it from outside. She didn't experience it - which was well enough in the carrier's opinion, since it all looked too fancy for her taste.

Hornet looked back as the maid bustled off. Amazon was brushing off her red jacket, a formal and soldier-like one. Then, the destroyer sheathed her dagger. She walked up to Hornet, Albacore, and Leipzig.

"You're ready. Yes?" Amazon had a curt tone. It always put Hornet in mind of Langley. The less said about Langley's opinion of Hornet's attitude, the better; as a result, she frankly didn't much enjoy talking to Amazon. It was the strictness - yes, that was what was so alike about them.

"I am," Hornet said.

Amazon frowned a bit at Hornet's distinct twang, but didn't say anything out loud. Instead, she turned to the last kansen present and beckoned her over.

Jean Bart fixed Amazon with a cool glare, and stood where she was. The battleship was some distance away, though still in earshot of the others.

Amazon frowned, pursing her lips. She marched towards Jean Bart. Hornet backed up. She dearly hoped this wasn't going to turn south.

"Don't touch me," Jean Bart warned.

"Hmph. You ought to listen when we're discussing our mission." Amazon tapped her hip.

Jean Bart snorted. "I can do it from here. Now shove off, tea-drinker."

Amazon scowled, and pulled out a pointer. Hornet cringed. The destroyer took a purposeful step towards Jean Bart - _this wasn't going to be good._ Hornet unconsciously held her breath as the pointer flashed out - and smacked one of Jean Bart's hands.

"What the _fuck_ was that about?!" Jean Bart's face twisted into a snarl. She balled her untouched hand into a fist, raising it --

"Stop it!" Leipzig cried out. Her rigging growled, and turned towards Amazon and Jean Bart. Its eyes glowed brighter, and Hornet stepped back. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Albacore backing off as well. Leipzig spoke again, her voice slightly shaky. "Don't fight, o-or Mr. Fishy won't be happy." The rigging-shark's joints creaked as it loomed over its owner and glared at the kansen below.

Another rumble from the beast, and Jean Bart and Amazon slowly backed down. Jean Bart was still glaring at the iron beast, while Amazon huffed and turned away. Hornet let out the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

"So… shouldn't we get going?" Albacore almost sounded as though she were rolling her words over her tongue. The submarine shrugged a little. "I mean - it's getting lighter, yeah? And it's about time for us to go." Albacore looked around, and Hornet thought she was probably trying to get them all moving before another fight broke out.

"Sure," the carrier said.

Jean Bart glared at Amazon, before jerking her head. "Might as well.'

Amazon didn't say anything, one hand sliding back and forth on her pointer. She nodded sharply, before stowing it. The destroyer then reached for her rapier.

"Please… let's," Leipzig said. She quickly glanced in Jean Bart and Amazon's directions.

Albacore darted forward, and summoned her rigging. She tossed it into the water, before diving off the dock. Moments later, the submarine came up giggling. Albacore grabbed her rigging, before pulling herself up onto the metal and straddling it.

"What are you waiting for? C'mon!" Albacore called.

Hornet wound up being the next to step off. It was a quick process - summon her rigging with a flick of her wrist, step off the dock - but it wasn't something she'd not notice. Water and land felt different beneath her feet. Land was solid and still - but water, water was ever-shifting and rippling. She instinctively spread her legs a touch - enough to ensure her centre of gravity remained constant.

Behind her, a pair of splashes signified someone else had come off the dock. Amazon skated past quickly, face tight and tense. The destroyer soon took up the lead position, and gestured for the others to follow her.

Jean Bart and Leipzig entered the water at practically the same time. Where Leipzig was surrounded by her massive, newly-upgraded rigging, Jean Bart rode atop her rigging-hull. The battleship glared down at the sea; however, the light cruiser's gaze was fixed on the horizon.

With all five of them in the water, the kansen set off. Jean Bart lagged behind, while Hornet was closer to Amazon. Closer still was Leipzig, who was keeping herself quite still aside from the necessary movements to follow. She was whispering something Hornet couldn't make out, and glared ahead with all the ferocity she could muster.

The last of the group was under them all. Occasionally, Albacore popped out of the water for air. It didn't take long before she was back underwater - sometimes invisible to the women and girls above her, sometimes visible as she swam not far under her fleetmates' feet.

As the sky grew brighter, the five kansen continued travelling. There'd been signs of strange activity lately - and they'd been sent to investigate. Frankly, it was probably the Sirens. Again.

* * *

Albacore kicked out and upward, water surrounding her. She held tight to her rigging as the ocean grew darker around her.

There was something here. Something unsettling; otherworldly. She'd felt it first - from below, a pull; a siren song. A little chill ran up her back - but there was also thrill, Albacore supposed. The thought of maybe stopping some nefarious Siren plot…

At first, she didn't notice it. And then she did.

Albacore blinked. The darkness of the ocean was _pierced_ by a mysterious light. There shouldn't be light down here -- but there it was. A little point of light that shone in the water.

The pull was leading her there. Albacore squinted through her goggles. She wasn't going to touch this thing with bare skin - no, she silently pulled out one of Akashi's new inventions. Something, some prototype the greedy cat had dreamed up in an effort to make it safer to touch Siren materials. No skin contact.

As she slipped the mechanical glove on, the submarine felt it humming. A blue glow emanated from the cuff of the thing. Albacore huffed in relief, though it was swallowed up by the scuba gear she wore.

She reached out into the dark, and clamped her gloved hand around the light - and instantly, she wanted to let go. Something hummed. The world around her was suddenly warm, despite Albacore's knowledge that the depths of the ocean did not keep heat very far below the surface. And there was - something. Albacore bit her lip. This thing wasn't good news - but it was news the base needed to know.

The submarine swallowed, and tried to ignore the prickling of her skin. That shining thing was hard, solid, unyielding. She couldn't yield to whatever this was either. Yet she couldn't shake a sick feeling.

No. Albacore had to ascend. She had to get back to the others.

With that thought in her mind, the submarine turned her rigging. She paused, checking her direction - before beginning to swim up, and up. Up, where the ocean steadily grew lighter.

It took a bit, but eventually the submarine had made her way just below the surface. She looked around, spotting the others' feet. There. With a powerful kick, Albacore started in their direction.

When Albacore came up, the others noticed she was holding something as far from her as she could. Something that seemed to glow white.

"What's that you got?" Hornet asked.

Albacore ripped off her scuba gear, and sucked in a deep breath. "It's… it's not _right._ They need to know. But I don't wanna carry this - thing." She opened her gloved, trembling fist to reveal a roughly spherical, white stone with three 'dimples' in it. The stone glowed - the light they'd seen leaking from Albacore's grip. "It's… Akashi's thing isn't working so well, and I don't want to drop it. I don't want to carry it."

Hornet narrowed her eyes. She leaned in closer. The stone didn't spark, or jump, or do anything fancy. It just kept _glowing._

"Sounds like the Siren shit we're checkin' out," Jean Bart offered. She made a point of staying put - and she was standing a bit away from Albacore's location.

Leipzig didn't say anything, but she backed off a little.

Amazon tutted. "It seems Hornet is the closest." Maybe Amazon wasn't done talking yet.

Albacore acted before Amazon could speak again, surfacing further. "Take it!" she half-cried. With a single quick movement, she pressed the stone into Hornet's hands and dove back underwater.

And Hornet _felt it._

Watched. She was being watched. Her skin prickled under the gaze of a thousand unseen eyes. Her skin felt warm - the air was warm. It put Hornet in mind of a summer day. But instead of enjoying the feeling, dread and a sense of wrongness crept up Hornet's back. It wasn't bright enough to be this warm. Yet she could feel sunlight on her back - bright, harsh sunlight.

Hornet staggered a little. The sudden sensation -- she grimaced. She blinked. The heat, the warmth was still there. So was that being-watched feeling.

"Let's, uh, head back," Hornet said. She glanced over her shoulder. Nothing but the others.

This stone felt so _wrong._ The sooner she could get rid of it - the sooner she could pass it off to research, the better. (What the hell had the Sirens come up with this time?)

Amazon studied the carrier for an instant, before motioning forward. Hornet got moving quickly, carefully holding the glowing stone away from her body. That thing… brr. As the others skated and swam alongside her, Hornet tried to block out the feeling of being watched by focusing on the horizon. Besides, the Sirens were always watching. This stone just made it feel a lot more personal. (She hoped that was all.)

And the sky brightened further and further, towards proper day; even if it was cloudy. Even if it was too cloudy to be feeling the warmth of sunlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the ride begins.
> 
> I originally planned to only start posting this when I had a backlog, but it turned out to be enough of a struggle that I wound up just posting this after finishing it. (I do have a framework for the rest of this, though.)
> 
> Anyhow - disclaimer this probably won't update too regularly, especially since I'm currently spitballing and preparing to draw a framework for a Pokémon Black rewrite.


	2. Untimely Awakening

Okay, Hornet was glad the base was back in sight. It felt like - that stone. That thing was wrong, fundamentally wrong. It was kind of like the Sirens, but  _ warmer. _

Try not to think about it. That would be the kind of advice someone would give her - hell, in a different situation, she herself would say that. But the damn thing wouldn't leave her alone. Hornet's body shuddered a bit. It was like there was something looking through her mind. Something that should not be there, but that was. How did you even kick unwelcome presences out of your mind? Hornet focused, but it lashed out. It wouldn't budge - the warmth was pressing down again - if she forced it away a little,  _ it came back. _ Back and back and back--

\--that power was too damn much. She sucked in a breath, and looked up sharply. They were still sailing along like nothing else had happened. Although, come to think of it, Albacore  _ had _ been keeping her distance from the carrier….

Still, they wouldn't have to sail much longer. Almost there. They were almost there.

  
  


From that point, a few minutes was all it took to reach the docks. Never had Hornet been more glad to be out of the water. (She could almost swear the sea under her had felt too warm.) The carrier looked around.

Ah. There. Akashi's laboratory was visible from the docks, metal and concrete among a sea of metal and concrete. What gave it away was a red gem someone (probably Akashi) had painted on the side that faced the docks. Red stood out from the sea of grey concrete buildings.

Hornet pulled her cap down a bit. Her hand trembled. Now. Now was the time. She wouldn't have to worry about this thing any longer.

"I'm goin'," she said with an air of false calm. Not that she'd ever been any good at faking it - unsettledness was still audible in her voice, visible on her face. The others noticed; of that, she was certain. Thankfully they didn't immediately say anything.

Hornet set off before the others could think to object.

It wasn't long before she arrived at Akashi's laboratory. Still holding the stone away from her body, the blonde woman shoved Akashi's door open with her shoulder. The door was heavy, but Hornet guessed it had to be. She'd been awakened or startled multiple times by explosions coming from there. Everyone had. And the building had to be sturdy to withstand those, Hornet assumed.

Still, being inside the laboratory was weird. It sparkled blue, and hummed - almost like it was alive. Machinery moved and spun and clacked. A LED turned green, and then red. Hornet almost swore her rigging was reacting to the energy and technology.

The carrier walked quickly. There was Siren tech here, and it was strange to be around. It wasn't as bad as the Sirens themselves; far from it. It wasn't even as unsettling as Drake. But it still felt like it could touch her very soul easily. How obsessed with money and experimentation did Akashi have to be to put up with this all day?

Hornet grunted and shook her head. Now where was Akashi…? She scanned the room, and soon spotted the mint-haired repair ship.

"Akashi! I got summat for ya," Hornet said.

The repair ship turned on her heel. Instantly, she was looking Hornet up and down.

"I see, nya…" Akashi approached, eyeing the strangely-carved stone --

\-- and quickly jerked back as though she had been burnt. Her ears flattened, and she  _ hissed. _ The repair ship's eyes narrowed, focusing on the stone Hornet was still holding. Hornet could feel the presence recede from her mind - but she could also feel the air heat up. One of Akashi's hands batted at the air, in front of Hornet. The repair ship tensed up.

"That  _ thing _ isn't Siren technyology! It's  _ something else! _ " Akashi spat. "Get it out of here! Now!" The green-haired kansen's tail bristled, and she pointed at the lab doors. When Hornet didn't react at first - only staring in stunned silence - Akashi hissed and motioned at the door again.

Hornet finally got herself to move. She backed away, before bolting out of the door. Akashi didn't usually act like this. Akashi willingly studied any kind of Siren technology - but this stone had obviously unnerved her. Why? And… if that stone wasn't connected to the Sirens, what  _ was _ it?

... suddenly, Hornet wanted to take that stone, and get rid of it. Unease chilled her spine as the feeling of warm sun on her back returned. She looked back at the stone, which was still mockingly  _ lifeless _ even with the presence back in her mind.

(Yeah, she was getting shot of that thing. Somewhere it wouldn't be found again. And then that'd be enough for today.)

* * *

When Hornet awoke the next morning, the glowing white stone was there. She'd noticed it when she checked the clock on her dresser. The carrier rubbed her eyes - surely--? Akashi had hissed, and panicked, and Hornet most definitely _ hadn't _ taken that thing into her room.

The carrier tossed her covers aside, and sat up. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced in the direction of the dresser again. Definitely needed to get dressed. A bra and panties would suffice for sleep, but even Hornet herself wore more around the base. She leaned forward, before standing up in a quick and fluid motion.

(Was it a dream? She was certain she hadn't taken it to her room.)

The stone was still sitting there.

Hornet felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle. She wasn't even touching it, but she still felt like she was being watched. Again. By something - a presence, warmth, a foreign weight. It wasn't physical, but she felt it all the same. Hornet grimaced.

This was worse than yesterday; for one, she wasn't even  _ touching _ it. Hornet backed away slowly, and the sensations weakened. (She swore she was breathing easier the further she was from that stone.) She picked up her pace, and made for the dresser. Quickly, the carrier exchanged her bra and panties for a bikini and shorts over the bottom, and grabbed her cloak. Hornet picked up her hat and fled her room, not breaking eye contact with the stone until she was out of her room.

(Fuck.)

The blonde carrier leaned against the wall, trembling a bit. That thing spooked her - she didn't know why, but it felt so  _ wrong. _ Someone else… no, Hornet recalled Albacore's panicked pleas to take it and Akashi flipping out. But Creator damn - she didn't want to deal with that thing. That white stone. (...she had to. But maybe she could get someone else to help - someone like Northampton.)

But Hornet could calm down first. She decided to come back later - yes, later would do. She could deal with it on a clearer mind. And hopefully a clearer mind meant less of its effects.

That decided, she turned and left for the mess hall. There were plenty of kansen out and about by now - not a surprise. A quick glance out of the windows revealed that the sun was up, the skies steadily turning blue.

It wasn't long before she got there. A few kansen were chattering at tables. Some had finished eating, while others chowed down between comments. Hornet passed them all by, heading for the line. It was short, with only a couple in front of her.

She didn't have to wait long for her turn. Chittering Manjuus put plates on her tray, and one of the little birds tried to lift it. The tray teetered. Hornet grabbed for the tray quickly - before it could slide off the Manjuu's head and spill her breakfast everywhere. (Eggs and toast were a fat lot of good on the floor.) Holding her tray tight, Hornet made for a table.

The carrier soon spotted Northampton and her sisters sitting together. "Yo, you mind if I sit with ya?" she asked.

Northampton chewed on something. Probably bacon. But before she could answer, Houston cut in.

"Sure!" the pink-haired cruiser said. "C'mon."

Hornet sat down heavily, next to Northampton. She set her tray on the table, and grabbed a fork. Looking around quickly, she picked it up and started eating.

(What was up with that glowing stone? It was… wrong. She remembered Akashi's panic. She also remembered - that energy.)

It was a bit before Hornet noticed someone's voice.

Northampton. The cruiser was calling out to her. "Hornet? Hornet, what's wrong?"

The carrier's face flushed a bit. Had she… zoned out? She had. Dammit. Northampton was staring at her. Houston and Chicago had turned away, presumably to give them some privacy. Hornet grimaced. This… this stone. It'd sound crazy, wouldn't it? And, frankly, Hornet didn't want to talk about it….

"It's nothing - to--!" Hornet gagged. Suddenly, her throat squeezed, choking -- she barely felt Northampton grab her back, barely noticed her hands instinctively flying out against the table --  _ watched watched there was something watching her something looking through her _ \--

The hairs of Hornet's neck stood on end. Her skin prickled, and her whole body shuddered involuntarily. Northampton was still touching her - that much Hornet could tell. Despite her throat loosening, despite the air coming back, the carrier could neither speak nor focus. Something warm pressed down on her, but there was nothing there. Hornet's arms jerked away from the table, and she grabbed for support. She clung to Northampton, swaying against the table, barely feeling someone pulling her up as the unearthly pressure on her body strengthened. Warm. Fuck, she was warm.

In the back of Hornet's mind, something  _ growled. _ It rumbled in her head, cutting through her scattered thoughts. Asserting itself. The pressure weakened a bit, but her body was still warm. Like it wasn't a cool base building - like she was out on a hot day -- so warm.

"Hornet!!" Northampton's voice cut through her thoughts again. And again, Hornet's mind scattered into chaos beneath the  _ presence. _ Her body shook, and the only reason she didn't unwittingly flop to the table was Northampton holding her up. Hornet was pretty sure Northampton was talking, but it was far away and her mind was so loud and --

What the hell was this? This… thing in her head… that glowing stone…. It was all  _ off. _ And something stirred, rumbled, rose in her mind. Something awoke.

An answer, given in response to an unvoiced question. The question of what this presence was. Of why. And that answer came in the form of an overwhelming, soundless voice. A voice that spoke in a language she didn't understand - but yet that voice made it feel like she should - like it was hinting at its meaning --

**[Sóþ.]**

The word rang out - resounded - echoed in Hornet's skull. It played havoc with her already-disarrayed thoughts, spiralling and breaking and casting them aside. She struggled for breath -- there was so so much -- power, warmth, it was  _ everywhere. _ There were eyes, so many eyes, eyes she couldn't see but that looked straight through her soul. Piercing eyes. Violently, Hornet's body shivered. The world was  _ so far away and so close _ \--

She gasped for air. For breath. The pressure on her chest increased, the echo of that word in her mind, reverberating through her body, becoming almost --

\--  _ she couldn't _ \--

And that was when Hornet felt herself being roughly shaken. The sensations and the power receded, leaving scattered thoughts and feelings in their wake. Once more, she gasped a bit as the aftermath of the pressure easing let her breathe easier. Hornet blinked as the world came back into focus.

The carrier realised she was slumped against the table. Strong hands were pressing into her sides. Hornet looked to one side, and saw Northampton looking back at her. The heavy cruiser frowned, and looked Hornet over. (Was that _ worry _ in Northampton's eyes?)

"... you're not okay." Northampton's voice was low. She brought a hand around to Hornet's other side, and gently lifted the carrier off the bench. It wouldn't normally be an easy task, but kansen were often stronger than humans.

Pulling Hornet to her feet, Northampton started for the door. Her jaw was tense, and her lips pursed.

"How do you feel?" Northampton asked.

Hornet couldn't answer. It felt like her mind was still ringing. Weird. Ringing was supposed to be in your ears. Thoughts everywhere, and she couldn't catch them - organise them. She nodded weakly, and continued leaning on Northampton as the cruiser guided her out of the mess hall and towards Vestal's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sóþ" is Old English, meaning "truth."  
> The letter þ (thorn) isn't a b - it is read as th.
> 
> Welp, finally got this chapter done. Happy Azur Lane 2nd anniversary!


End file.
